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Cancers Dec 2023Tongue abscesses are rare conditions that usually follow mucosal disruption due to mechanical trauma or foreign body impaction. They typically manifest abruptly as a... (Review)
Review
Tongue abscesses are rare conditions that usually follow mucosal disruption due to mechanical trauma or foreign body impaction. They typically manifest abruptly as a rapidly growing, hard mass or swelling in the context of tongue muscles; the patient frequently complains of pain, difficulties in swallowing or speaking, and fever. Nonetheless, the features of its presentation, together with accurate clinical evaluation, blood tests, and appropriate imaging tests, are usually sufficient to easily discern a tongue abscess from a malignancy. However, in rare cases, they may occur with slowly progressing and subtle symptoms, nuanced objective and laboratory findings, and inconclusive radiological evidence, leading to difficult differential diagnosis with submucosal malignancy. Herein, we review the literature, available on Pubmed, Embase, and Scopus, on publications reporting tongue abscesses, with atypical presentation suggesting an oral tumor. Our review confirms that tongue abscesses may manifest as a slowly growing and moderately painful swelling without purulent discharge and minimal mucosal inflammation; in this case, they may constitute an actual diagnostic challenge with potentially severe impact on correct management. Atypical tongue abscesses must therefore be considered in the differential diagnosis of tongue malignancy with submucosal extension, even when other diagnostic elements suggest a neoplasia; in this case, a deep biopsy under general anesthesia is essential for differential diagnosis, and simultaneous drainage of the necrotic and abscessual material may resolve the condition.
PubMed: 38136415
DOI: 10.3390/cancers15245871 -
Journal of Dairy Science Oct 2015The objectives of this observational study were to identify the optimal diagnostic criteria for purulent vaginal discharge (PVD) and cytological endometritis (ENDO)...
The objectives of this observational study were to identify the optimal diagnostic criteria for purulent vaginal discharge (PVD) and cytological endometritis (ENDO) using vaginal discharge, endometrial cytology, and leukocyte esterase (LE) tests, and to quantify their effect on subsequent reproductive performance. Data generated from 1,099 untreated Holstein cows (28 herds) enrolled in a randomized clinical trial were used in this study. Cows were examined at 35 (± 7) d in milk for PVD using vaginal discharge scoring and for ENDO using endometrial cytology and LE testing. Optimal combinations of diagnostic criteria were determined based on the lowest Akaike information criterion (AIC) to predict pregnancy status at first service. Once identified, these criteria were used to quantify the effect of PVD and ENDO on pregnancy risk at first service and on pregnancy hazard until 200 d in milk (survival analysis). Predicting ability of these diagnostic criteria was determined using area under the curve (AUC) values. The prevalence of PVD and ENDO was calculated as well as the agreement between endometrial cytology and LE. The optimal diagnostic criteria (lowest AIC) identified in this study were purulent vaginal discharge or worse (≥ 4), ≥ 6% polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNL) by endometrial cytology, and small amounts of leukocytes or worse (≥ 1) by LE testing. When using the combination of vaginal discharge and PMNL percentage as diagnostic tools (n = 1,099), the prevalences of PVD and ENDO were 17.1 and 36.2%, respectively. When using the combination of vaginal discharge and LE (n = 915), the prevalences of PVD and ENDO were 17.1 and 48.4%. The optimal strategies for predicting pregnancy status at first service were the use of LE only (AUC = 0.578) and PMNL percentage only (AUC = 0.575). Cows affected by PVD and ENDO had 0.36 and 0.32 times the odds, respectively, of being pregnant at first service when using PMNL percentage compared with that of unaffected cows; odds ratios were 0.33 and 0.69 for PVD and ENDO, respectively, when LE was used. Kappa value (agreement) of the pairwise comparison for the PMNL percentage and LE was 0.43. Vaginal discharge, endometrial cytology, and LE can be used to diagnose PVD and ENDO, and to predict pregnancy status at first service. The use of LE could be a good alternative to endometrial cytology for on-farm testing.
Topics: Animals; Cattle; Cattle Diseases; Endometritis; Female; Milk; Pregnancy; Prevalence; Reproduction; Vaginal Discharge
PubMed: 26210278
DOI: 10.3168/jds.2014-9120 -
Turkish Journal of Ophthalmology Apr 2019Canaliculitis is a rare disease that relapses when not properly diagnosed and treated. It usually occurs in middle-age and advanced age. It is extremely rare in children...
Canaliculitis is a rare disease that relapses when not properly diagnosed and treated. It usually occurs in middle-age and advanced age. It is extremely rare in children and infants. A healthy 12-year-old girl presented with lower eyelid swelling and watery discharge in her right eye. During the last 2 years, the patient had been examined several times for the same complaints but there was no improvement despite treatment. Examination showed that the lower punctum had a pouting punctum appearance, and applying pressure to the lacrimal sac area resulted in purulent discharge. Lavage showed that the lacrimal passage was patent. In light of these clinical findings, the patient was diagnosed with canaliculitis. Punctoplasty with surgical curettage of the dacryoliths were performed. After the surgical procedure, a topical antibiotic was prescribed. Histopathological examination of the dacryoliths revealed that the infective cause was . No recurrence or complications were observed during 12 months follow-up.
PubMed: 31055896
DOI: 10.4274/tjo.galenos.2018.04453 -
Journal of Dairy Science May 2017The aim of this study was to characterize, using metagenomic shotgun DNA sequencing, the intrauterine microbial population and its predicted functional diversity within...
The aim of this study was to characterize, using metagenomic shotgun DNA sequencing, the intrauterine microbial population and its predicted functional diversity within healthy cows and cows presenting purulent vaginal discharge (PVD). Twenty Holstein dairy cows from a single farm were enrolled in the study at 25 to 35 d postpartum. Purulent vaginal discharge was diagnosed by retrieving and scoring vaginal discharge using the Metricheck device (Simcro, Hamilton, New Zealand). Intrauterine samples for metagenomic analysis were collected by the cytobrush technique from 8 cows diagnosed with PVD and 12 healthy cows. Pair-end sequencing was performed using the Illumina MiSeq platform (Illumina Inc., San Diego, CA). Metagenomic sequences were analyzed using the MG-RAST server (metagenomic rapid annotations using subsystems technology; http://metagenomics.anl.gov/), and the STAMP software (http://kiwi.cs.dal.ca/Software/STAMP) was used to study statistically significant differential abundance of taxonomic and functional features between the 2 metagenomes. Additionally, the total number of bacterial 16S rDNA copies was estimated by real-time PCR. Taxonomic analysis revealed that Bacteroidetes was the most abundant phylum in the uterine microbiota from cows with PVD, and Fusobacteria was almost completely absent in the healthy uterine microbiota. Moreover, species belonging to the genus Trueperella were present only in the uterine microbiota of PVD cows. The increased abundance of Fusobacteria and the unique presence of Trueperella in the PVD cows highlight the important role of these bacteria in the pathogenesis of PVD. Genes encoding cytolethal distending toxin were exclusive to the microbiota of PVD cows. Similarly, genes associated with lipid A modification were present only in samples from PVD cows; such modification is associated with greater resistance to cationic antimicrobial peptides. Conversely, genes encoding bacteriocins and ribosomally antibacterial peptide were exclusively found in the healthy uterine microbiota and dominated by tolerance to colicin E2. No difference was observed in total bacterial load between the 2 microbiotas. This study provides deep insight into the uterine microbial community in health and disease. The observations that the healthy microbiota is tolerant to colicin E2, whereas the uterine microbiota of PVD cows produces cytolethal distending toxins and modifies its lipopolysaccharides suggest that species-intrinsic factors may be more relevant than bacterial abundance to the development of disease or maintenance of health in the dairy cow postpartum uterus.
Topics: Animals; Cattle; Cattle Diseases; Endometritis; Female; Microbiota; Postpartum Period; Vaginal Discharge
PubMed: 28259411
DOI: 10.3168/jds.2016-12061 -
Transplant Infectious Disease : An... Feb 2018A 60-year-old woman with a history of dilated cardiomyopathy underwent heart transplantation. One month post discharge, she presented to clinic with low-grade fever and...
A 60-year-old woman with a history of dilated cardiomyopathy underwent heart transplantation. One month post discharge, she presented to clinic with low-grade fever and productive cough. Her chest radiograph showed air-fluid levels in the pericardial silhouette. Transthoracic echocardiogram showed a large complex pericardial collection with no evidence of cardiac tamponade. The patient was urgently taken to the operating room for exploration. A large "egg-shaped" mass in the pericardium measuring 10 × 12 cm with gaseous material was aspirated. As the posterior wall of the mass was firmly adhered to the right atrium, the capsule was incompletely excised. We present the case of a potentially life-threatening complication post transplantation that required surgical debridement and life-long antibiotic suppressive therapy. To our knowledge, this is the first report of purulent pericardial collection caused by Enterobacter cancerogenous. Further research is required to better understand the biology of this microorganism and the role it may play as a pathogen in immunocompromised patients following solid organ transplantation.
Topics: Echocardiography; Enterobacter; Enterobacteriaceae Infections; Female; Heart Transplantation; Humans; Immunocompromised Host; Middle Aged; Pericarditis; Pneumopericardium
PubMed: 29105898
DOI: 10.1111/tid.12800 -
Obstetrics and Gynecology May 2024Postpartum necrotizing myositis is a rare condition, typically presenting as a complication after uterine artery embolization or uterine compression suturing. Uterine...
BACKGROUND
Postpartum necrotizing myositis is a rare condition, typically presenting as a complication after uterine artery embolization or uterine compression suturing. Uterine ischemia can cause endometrial necrosis and even myometrial necrosis, which can lead to systemic infection. If a systemic infection is not promptly and actively treated, it may pose significant risk.
CASE
A 35-year-old patient who had undergone bilateral uterine artery ligation, modified B-Lynch suture, and multiple compression sutures due to refractory postpartum hemorrhage frequently presented to clinic after postpartum discharge due to persistent fever and vaginal discharge. A bag-like prolapse from the vagina measuring 10×5 cm, accompanied by purulent discharge, was noted 78 days postsurgery. Subsequent pelvic magnetic resonance imaging revealed a uterine basal abscess and postpartum necrotizing myositis; an emergency laparoscopic supracervical hysterectomy was performed, with postoperative pathology confirming the diagnosis. After the patient's discharge, she was readmitted for inpatient treatment of a pelvic abscess.
CONCLUSIONS
Although rare, postpartum necrotizing myositis should be considered in postpartum patients presenting with fever, abdominal pain, severe infection symptoms, and abnormal vaginal discharge. Culture and sensitivity testing are recommended to direct appropriate antibiotic therapy.
Topics: Pregnancy; Female; Humans; Adult; Abscess; Postpartum Hemorrhage; Postpartum Period; Prolapse; Vaginal Discharge; Necrosis; Myositis
PubMed: 38513235
DOI: 10.1097/AOG.0000000000005556 -
Case Reports in Hematology 2015Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) is a rare, progressive, and life-threatening hematopoietic stem cell disorder characterized by complement-mediated...
Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) is a rare, progressive, and life-threatening hematopoietic stem cell disorder characterized by complement-mediated intravascular hemolysis and a prothrombotic state. Patients with PNH might have slightly increased risk of infections due to complement-associated defects subsequent to CD59 deficiency. Here, we report a rare case of a 65-year-old male patient with necrotic ulcers on both legs, where the recognition of pancytopenia and microthrombi led to the diagnosis of PNH based on FLAER (FLuorescent AERolysin) flow cytometric analysis. He was subsequently started on eculizumab therapy, with starting and maintenance doses set as per drug labelling. Progression of the patient's leg ulcers during follow-up, with fulminant tissue destruction, purulent discharge, and necrotic patches, led to a later diagnosis of necrotizing fasciitis due to Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella pneumonia infection. Courses of broad-spectrum antibiotics, surgical debridement, and superficial skin grafting were applied with successful effect during ongoing eculizumab therapy. This case highlights the point that it is important to maintain treatment of underlying disorders such as PNH in the presence of life-threatening infections like NF.
PubMed: 26347833
DOI: 10.1155/2015/908087 -
Emergency (Tehran, Iran) 2017Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is one of the most common hospital infections and a side effect of lengthy stay in intensive care unit (ICU). Considering the...
INTRODUCTION
Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is one of the most common hospital infections and a side effect of lengthy stay in intensive care unit (ICU). Considering the ever-changing pattern of common pathogens in infectious diseases and the raise in prevalence of hospital infections, the present study was designed aiming to determine the prevalence of VAP and its bacterial causes.
METHODS
In this cross-sectional study, the medical profiles of all the patients under mechanical ventilation, who had no symptoms of pneumonia at the time of intubation and developed new infiltration in chest radiography after 48 hours under mechanical ventilation along with at least 2 of the symptoms including fever, hypothermia, leukocytosis, leukopenia, or purulent discharge from the lungs, were evaluated. Demographic data, clinical and laboratory findings, and final outcome of the patients were extracted from the patient's clinical profile and reported using SPSS version 20 and descriptive statistics.
RESULTS
518 patients with the mean age of 62.3 ± 20.8 years were evaluated (50.9% female). Mean time interval between intubation and showing symptoms was 10.89 ± 12.27 days. Purulent discharges (100%), leukocytosis (71.9%), fever (49.1%), hypothermia (12.3%), and leukopenia (8.8%) were the most common clinical and laboratory symptoms and acinetobacter baumannii (31.58%) and klebsiella pneumoniae (29.82%) were the most common germs growing in sputum cultures. 19 (33.3%) cases of pan drug resistance (PDR) and 10 (17.5%) cases of extensive drug resistance (XDR) were seen. Mortality due to VAP was 78.9% and there was no significant correlation between age (p = 0.841), sex (p = 0.473), ICU admission (p = 0.777), duration of hospitalization (p = 0.254), leukocytosis (p = 0.790), leukopenia (p = 0.952), fever (p = 0.171), hypothermia (p = 0.639), type of culture (p = 0.282), and type of antibiotic resistance (p = 0.066) with mortality.
CONCLUSION
Prevalence of VAP and its associated mortality were 11% and 78.9%, respectively. The most common symptoms and signs were purulent discharge, leukocytosis, and fever. Acinetobacter baumannii and klebsiella pneumoniae were the most common germs in sputum cultures with 50% resistance to commonly used antibiotics.
PubMed: 28286833
DOI: No ID Found -
Clinical Ophthalmology (Auckland, N.Z.) 2017To investigate the causes and treatment options for socket discharge and infection in patients enucleated for retinoblastoma (Rb).
PURPOSE
To investigate the causes and treatment options for socket discharge and infection in patients enucleated for retinoblastoma (Rb).
METHODS
A questionnaire was filled out by (parents of) ocular prosthesis-wearing patients with a history of enucleation as treatment for Rb. We collected data on patients' characteristics, cleaning habits of the prosthesis, frequency of socket irritation, discharge, and infection, and use of antibiotics. With ordinal logistic regression analysis, factors related to the outcome parameters (frequency of irritation, mucoid and purulent discharge) were identified. In a subset of young asymptomatic and symptomatic patients, a swab culture of the socket was performed to determine the presence of microorganisms.
RESULTS
A total of 186 patients or their parents (mean age of the patients: 17.3 years, ranging from 0.8 to 88.3 years) filled out the questionnaire. Irritation, mucoid discharge, and purulent discharge were frequently (once a month or more often) experienced in 75 (39.5%), 127 (66.8%), and 15 (13.2%) sockets, respectively. Younger age was associated with a higher frequency of mucoid and purulent discharge. Radiation therapy, chemotherapy, gender, age at surgery, cleaning frequency, and nocturnal wear were not associated with the outcome parameters. In a subgroup of 26 patients, the sockets were swabbed and cultured. All symptomatic patients had a positive bacterial culture versus 15% (2/13) of the asymptomatic patients (<0.001). Common cold was correlated with both symptoms and presence of bacteria. and were the species most frequently cultured.
CONCLUSION
Ocular prosthesis-wearing patients often experienced mucoid discharge, and less often irritation and socket infection. These complaints were found to decrease with increasing age, but did not seem to be influenced by cleaning or wearing habits. Symptomatic sockets, with and without discharge, were correlated with the presence of pathogenic bacteria for which local antibiotic treatment seemed effective in most cases.
PubMed: 28280296
DOI: 10.2147/OPTH.S120653 -
Annals of Family Medicine Mar 2019To evaluate the accuracy of signs and symptoms for the diagnosis of acute rhinosinusitis (ARS). (Review)
Review
PURPOSE
To evaluate the accuracy of signs and symptoms for the diagnosis of acute rhinosinusitis (ARS).
METHODS
We searched Medline to identify studies of outpatients with clinically suspected ARS and sufficient data reported to calculate the sensitivity and specificity. Of 1,649 studies initially identified, 17 met our inclusion criteria. Acute rhinosinusitis was diagnosed by any valid reference standard, whereas acute bacterial rhinosinusitis (ABRS) was diagnosed by purulence on antral puncture or positive bacterial culture. We used bivariate meta-analysis to calculate summary estimates of test accuracy.
RESULTS
Among patients with clinically suspected ARS, the prevalence of imaging confirmed ARS is 51% and ABRS is 31%. Clinical findings that best rule in ARS are purulent secretions in the middle meatus (positive likelihood ratio [LR+] 3.2) and the overall clinical impression (LR+ 3.0). The findings that best rule out ARS are the overall clinical impression (negative likelihood ratio [LR-] 0.37), normal transillumination (LR- 0.55), the absence of preceding respiratory tract infection (LR- 0.48), any nasal discharge (LR- 0.49), and purulent nasal discharge (LR- 0.54). Based on limited data, the overall clinical impression (LR+ 3.8, LR- 0.34), cacosmia (fetid odor on the breath) (LR+ 4.3, LR- 0.86) and pain in the teeth (LR+ 2.0, LR- 0.77) are the best predictors of ABRS. While several clinical decision rules have been proposed, none have been prospectively validated.
CONCLUSIONS
Among patients with clinically suspected ARS, only about one-third have ABRS. The overall clinical impression, cacosmia, and pain in the teeth are the best predictors of ABRS. Clinical decision rules, including those incorporating C-reactive protein, and use of urine dipsticks are promising, but require prospective validation.
Topics: Acute Disease; Bacterial Infections; Physical Examination; Rhinitis; Sinusitis
PubMed: 30858261
DOI: 10.1370/afm.2354